Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Higher Education: Radicalism

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions the Minister for Universities has had with the Welsh Government Minister for Education on tackling extremism and radicalisation in universities; and what plans he has to meet his counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss tackling extremism and radicalisation in universities across the UK.

Greg Clark: Holding answer received on 01 December 2014



I have discussed these matters with the Minister for Education in the Welsh Government. The Government continues to work closely with the Welsh Government and other partners in Wales, including through a ‘Preventing Extremism’ coordinator who supports Universities and Colleges to help them prevent radicalisation and tackle extremism. Officials are also undertaking discussions with Devolved Administrations with regard to the recently introduced Counter –Terrorism and Security Bill.

Business: Procurement

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the practice of companies requiring a supplier company to make a payment in order to join or to remain on a list of suppliers.

Matthew Hancock: The Department is aware that the practice of suppliers having to pay to join or remain on a supplier list is an issue in some sectors. The Government has already taken action to prohibit this practice in certain sectors. We are consulting to help us understand the wider extent of the problem and on whether Government should take any action with respect to supplier lists.   The Government has already taken action to prohibit this practice in certain sectors. This is why the statutory Grocery Supply Code prohibits payments as a condition of stocking or listing a supplier’s grocery products.

Arms Trade: Exports

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many export licences his Department has issued for the supply of military equipment for incorporation into the Grippen NG.

Greg Clark: We have granted 401 licences over the last fifteen years, where there was a reference to the Gripen NG in the goods descriptions, or the end-use was stated on the licence application as being explicitly for the Gripen NG.

Students: Fees and Charges

Mr Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of removing university tuition fees for students studying science, medicine, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Greg Clark: Holding answer received on 16 December 2014



We have made no assessment of the public cost of removing tuition fees for students taking Science, Technology, Medicine, Engineering or Mathematics subjects.

Business: Procurement

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy to prohibit companies from requiring a supplier company to make a payment in order to join or to remain on that company's list of suppliers.

Matthew Hancock: Holding answer received on 18 December 2014



The Government has already taken action to prohibit this practice in certain sectors. The statutory Grocery Supply Code prohibits payments as a condition of stocking or listing a supplier’s grocery products.   We are currently consulting on extent of the problem and on whether Government should take further action with respect to supplier lists.

Business: Procurement

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the implications of the practice of companies requiring a supplier company to make a payment in order to join or to remain on that company's list of suppliers on competition in the UK economy.

Matthew Hancock: Holding answer received on 18 December 2014



The Department is aware that the practice of suppliers having to pay to join or remain on a supplier list is an issue in some sectors. The Government has already taken action to prohibit this practice in certain sectors.   We are currently consulting to understand the prevalence and impact of this practice economy wide. This will ensure that any action is appropriately targeted and achieves real change on the ground.

Prime Minister

Food Banks

Chris Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister, when he has visited a foodbank in order to assess the effect of the Government's policies on foodbank use.

Mr David Cameron: There are complex reasons why people use food banks. The Government provides a strong safety net through the welfare system and we have given Jobcentre Plus advisers the ability to direct people who need help to a range of local support including food banks. I have visited food banks in my constituency and also met the Trussell Trust in Downing Street to discuss the work that they do.

Scotland Office

Food Banks

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he has visited a foodbank.

David Mundell: I have visited Highland and Peeblesshire food banks. On 29 June, I attended the Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee to discuss welfare related issues, including food banks. At that meeting I committed to meeting witnesses who gave evidence to the Committee and I have since met with Oxfam, The British Medical Association and Barnardo’s Scotland. I will next meet with Loaves and Fishes.

Railways

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the changes to legislation that would be necessary to implement the recommendations of the Smith Commission on rail.

David Mundell: The UK Government is committed to implementing the Smith Agreement and will set out what the necessary legislation will look like and how it will work with the publication of draft clauses by Burns’ Night (25 January 2015).

HM Treasury

Agriculture: Subsidies

Robert Neill: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the likely annual reduction in CAP subsidies to farmers arising from the change to disallow grazing under a solar farm.

Priti Patel: The total Common Agricultural Policy allocation for the Basic Payment Scheme for England will be unaffected by the change in eligibility of land used for solar panels from 2015. There will be reductions in payments for English farmers who are currently claiming on land on which there are solar panels. In the future, they will not be able to claim BPS payments on this land.

Nurses: Schools

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total annual average cost to the public purse of employing a school nurse.

Priti Patel: Approximately 1200 school nurses are employed by the NHS, and in 2013-14, the estimated average paybill per full time equivalent (FTE) school nurse was £41,061. This includes earnings plus the costs of employer pension and national insurance contributions.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Pamela Nash: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been overpaid in child tax credit and working tax credit as a result of technical and administrative errors by his Department; and how much of that overpayment has been written off in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) North Lanarkshire and (d) Airdrie and Shotts constituency in each year since that scheme's inception.

Priti Patel: HMRC tax credit overpayment figures are available in the Finalised Child and Working Tax Credits statistics annual award supplement on payments located here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/fin-main-stats/cwtc-awards-sup.xls on the ‘Main Aggregates’ table. HMRC total tax credit expenditure figures are available in the Finalised Child and Working Tax Credits statistics located here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/fin-main-stats/cwtc-awards.xls in Table 1.1.

Department for Culture Media and Sport

Mobile Phones: Rural Areas

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the current Electronic Communications Code on the ability of mobile network operators to improve mobile voice and data coverage in rural areas.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Holding answer received on 16 December 2014



The Government asked the Law Commission to produce a report on the Electronic Communications Code. The Law Commission reported in February 2013, setting out a number of recommendations for a reformed Code.Since the publication of this report, DCMS officials have been analysing the effect of the existing Code, and in turn Code reform, on the development of networks, including mobile networks in urban and rural areas. The Law Commission’s report found evidence that the existing Code makes the rollout of communications networks more difficult, and representations received by DCMS from mobile network operators have supported this conclusion.

Mobile Phones

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received from mobile network operators on the reform of the Electronic Communications Code to assist their mobile coverage plans.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Holding answer received on 16 December 2014



The Secretary of State has met with mobile network operators and other stakeholders to discuss improving mobile coverage. To further this work, DCMS officials have also met with stakeholders including the mobile network operators about the effect of the reform of the Electronic Communications Code on network development.

House of Commons Commission

Written Questions

Chi Onwurah: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate he has made of the savings to the House of Commons Commission from the Q&A system in (a) the present financial year and (b) the next five financial years.

John Thurso: Identified savings to the House of Commons Commission, in reduced printing, publishing and administration costs, from the Questions and Answers (Q&A) system are estimated to be £443,000 in 2014/15, £785,000 in 2015/16 and £795,000 every year from 2016/17.